For the well-being of everyone.
Tatsuya Yamaguchi
Corporate Vice President
General Manager of Healthcare Business Unit
What Nikon’s healthcare is...
Our business unit develops three solutions. One of these is Life Science Solutions, based on biological microscope technology and products developed during about 100 years of innovation, that contributes to regenerative medicine and supports drug discovery utilizing cells. Another is Eye Care Solutions that provides ophthalmic devices and systems equipped with original technologies, contributing to the early detection of eye diseases and systemic diseases.
The third is Contract Cell Development and Manufacturing which contributes to the practical application and development of regenerative medicine in Japan through contract development and the manufacture of cells for regenerative medicine and gene therapy.
The core technologies common to all of them are optical and image-processing/analyzing technologies. These are optical systems with high-resolution lenses that capture minute objects, and technologies that examine and analyze taken images. Healthcare business is a very meaningful area to be working in because Nikon is unlocking the future with the power of light.
What are we aiming for?
We are developing various activities to achieve the Healthcare Business Unit's goals, which are that as many people as possible around the world can enjoy a comfortable quality of life (QOL).Eye Care Solutions aims to contribute toward attaining “a world without vision loss” through realizing early diagnosis of eye diseases associated with lifestyle-related medical conditions and aging. It is also advancing the development of a diagnostic support system for diabetic retinopathy using artificial intelligence (AI).
With Contract Cell Development and Manufacturing, we aim to provide the world’s highest-level cell contract manufacturing service for regenerative medicine in Japan. As well as offering the high performance and high functionality of biological microscopes and cell culture observation devices that are employed in biological sciences research and medical fields, Life Science Solutions is advancing innovations of both hardware and software such as the fusion of digital solutions for image analysis, AI and IoT technology.
Constantly corresponding to changes while contributing to people’s well-being.
Our market is a continuously changing field. In particular, regenerative medicine and drug discovery using cells are expected to experience major revolutions in a year.
On the other hand, it is true that a longer period of five to six years is required to execute processes such as research and development, commercialization, and receiving medical and pharmaceutical approvals. While immediately corresponding to the latest remarkable evolutions and changes, we are also required to have medium- to long-term perspectives which consider practical applications, mass production and stable supply. The importance of this long-term view also applies to the ophthalmic and microscope fields. In order to achieve this, we continuously develop information integration by utilizing strong networks with key opinion leaders in each field, and rapid output based on that information day by day. We believe that our efforts are effectively connecting to people’s well-being including the treatment of intractable or rare diseases and conditions.
(Information correct as of August, 2021)